No time in the workshop on Saturday. We had a delightful trip to Orcas Island on a friends boat to attend a fiftieth wedding anniversary party at the Culver summer home at Pt. Lawrence. A perfect day with warm sun, cooling breezes, calm water and lots of good friends in this idylic setting.
But I got back at it today by almost finishing the two bowls. Now I will turn them over and finish up the backs and they will be ready to apply the finish. I am pleased with the shapes. The larger bowl is American Elm from a tree that was cut down years ago on 14th St. in my town. Elm is lovely wood. The smaller bowl is Big Leaf Maple that grows everywhere in the forests of this part of the state. It is a wonderful bowl wood.
I went to my wood storage unit to pick up a couple of rough turned bowls and a little walnut as I will soon be starting a build of at least three Concert Pinecones. I sawed it up and got seven necks out of it. Now I must re-saw that wonderful piece of tiger stripe maple and cut it into 3/4 inch thick backs that I will carve into concave form to give those ukes their customer volume and quality of sound. I have some lovely Engelmann Spruce for the sound boards and Honduran Rosewood for the fretboards so all I need to do is finish the construction of those three tenors, get the French Polishing going on them and then I will have time for the Pinecones.
This maple is going to make gorgeous backs. If you want a Pinecone speak up as they will go fast. I will probably make my usual three but if I got more orders prior to beginning them, I could easily up the count to four or five. I will be selling them for $600.00 as usual. No down payment, payment upon completion. Just let me know you want one.
